The wildest, most interesting recent studies

Ever feel like there's a new study making headlines each day? That's because there is. We combed through some of the most interesting and recent research to offer you a list of what's worth knowing. We'll let you decide what to believe.(Fotolia)

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FamilyNeed more reasons to appreciate your family? Studies found that married people are more like to survive heart surgery and cancer. Research from the University of British Columbia found that parents are happier and feel there is more meaning in their lives than non-parents.(Fotolia)

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While there are certainly some benefits to marriage, lovebirds shouldn't rush to the altar. A study published online in the Journal of Family Psychology showed that "wedding jitters" can be a very real warning sign of trouble in a relationship. Women are less likely to express doubts, but those that do have "cold feet" are twice as likely to divorce within four years than those without jitters.(Fotolia)

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BreakfastIt was a bad year for the stereotypical North American breakfast. One study out of Calgary found that breakfast sandwiches can clog blood vessels by lunch time. A University of Western Ontario study found a direct correlation between egg yolk consumption and plaque build-up in the arteries (which causes most heart attacks and strokes).(Fotolia)

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Religion Religion was found to have practical uses this year, as a study from Queen's University found that it's good for self-control, patience, and the ability to better handle discomfort. However, other studies found that Canadians are less religious than they used to be (along with the rest of the world) and just about everyone on the planet gives Atheists a hard time. Some countries dictate capital punishment for Atheists and even deferential Europeans favour Christian churches â€śin providing education and other public servicesâ€ť.(Fotolia)

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Big surpriseIn the not-so-surprising category, various studies showed that binge drinkers are happier at college, fatty foods and baked goods are linked with depression, violent video games can increase aggression, and phases of the moon can't really make you go a crazy.(Fotolia)

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Wacky"Cat ladies" have an increased suicide risk - but not because they're lonely. Researchers from the University of Maryland found that women infected with the parasite T. gondii, which can be contracted while changing cat litter, were one-and-a-half times more likely to attempt suicide than women who don't keep cats. Eating unwashed vegetables or uncooked meat and drinking water from contaminated sources are some other common ways humans can contract T. gondii.(Shutterstock)

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NutritionOur body's relationship with fat is...complicated. Swapping fatty foods for lower fat alternatives, like milk, can help drop pounds (possibly because lower fat options tend to have fewer calories), but a study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem showed that a scheduled high-fat diet could help boost metabolism.(Fotolia)

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Thinking of upping or scaling back on fat? A Louisiana study found that it doesn't really matter what kind of diet a person is on - low-fat, low-carb or high-protein - what matters is the calorie count. If you're a fan of Caesar salad, good news: A study from Purdue University showed that fatty salad dressing is better for you than the fat-free stuff, since it helps your body absorb the carotenoids (pigments found in plants) that fight negative effects of free radicals (atoms and groups of atoms responsible for tissue damage). (Fotolia)

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Your brainThis year science told us that both smoking and high blood pressure damages the brain and watching pornography can dull a part of women's brains (surprised?). Research out of Yale University found that cellphone radiation impacts fetal brain development and may cause hyperactivity and the folks at Florida State University found that parts of Einstein's brain were quite unusual.(Fotolia)

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RelationshipsAlong with sex, men visit prostitutes for a good cuddle, said a U.S. study that analyzed postings on a website that reviews sex workers. An unrelated study found that women tend to judge whether a man is unfaithful based on how masculine he looks - and their assumptions aren't off-base. (Fotolia)

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HealthThough an abundance of time and money has been spent studying diet and drugs, most illnesses actually come from animals, and of those, most human-animal infections come from livestock, which are responsible for 2.2 million deaths per year, according to a global study.(Fotolia)

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WorkWomen still make less than men for the same work, by an average of 77 cents for each dollar made by a man, which drops to 66 cents in some professions like financial manager, according to U.S. research. One study found that female applicants for positions in science faculties at various universities were less likely to be hired and given lower starting salaries and less career mentoring than males with identical applications.A report by Credit Suisse Research Institute found that companies with at least one woman on the board of directors performed better in the stock market by an average of 26% over the past six years than companies with only men at the helm.(Fotolia)

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MasculinityA study out of Kentucky found that men feel more masculine after eating meat, because it's "a symbol of patriarchy resulting from its long-held alliance with manhood, power, and virility," according to study researcher Hank Rothgerber. Riiiiight.(Fotolia)

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BiologyWomen's menstrual cycles can influence who they are attracted to and what they spend money on (assuming they aren't rationally thinking beings that can control themselves). Findings out of the University of Texas at San Antonio found that women are more likely to go for sexy, rebellious "bad boys" because ovulation helps them "delude themselves into thinking that the sexy bad boys will become devoted partners and better dads."(Fotolia)

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A study out of Concordia University showed that women tend to buy clothes and pay more attention to their appearance when they are most fertile, but spend more money on food, and crave high-calorie treats when they're at the infertile part of their cycle. (Fotolia)

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SexA U.K. survey found that people like the song Bohemian Rhapsody from British rockers Queen, more than sex, but a study out of New Zealand found that people like sex more than Facebook - so it's not all bad news.(Fotolia)